Close Encounters of the Mecha Kind: Part 2 of 2
by GuGoomba
Summary: In an attempt to capture Sonic, Mecha-Sonic kidnaps Tails from Green Meadow and holds him for ransom. The ransom: Sonic himself. Can Sonic save Tails and himself from his robotic double, or will Sonic pay the ulitmate price?


Sonic the Hedgehog: The Second Robot War   
  
Close Encounters of the Mecha Kind: Part 2 of 2  
  
  
It was about 2:37 p.m. by Mecha-Sonic's internal clock as he sat inside a ring of bushes in the Green Meadow. He was getting pretty frustrated, because he had been camped there for three days straight and had not seen hide nor hair of Tails or Sonic. The idea of ambushing them when they came out here to play seemed like a good idea, but now Mecha-Sonic was having doubts. He let out a sigh and started to get up to head back to Robotropolis when a loud sonic boom sounded off from close by in the forest.  
  
Mecha-Sonic quickly ducked for cover again as he saw Sonic run into the meadow with Tails holding on to his shoulders. Sonic stopped by a bed of daisies and Tails got off. Tails then went into the bed and started picking ones that were in bloom. Sonic just stood by and watched him. Mecha-Sonic watched with curiosity as Tails picked over a dozen of the yellow flowers before coming out and giving them to Sonic, who in turn messed up Tails hair with his hand.  
  
*"This is perfect," thought Mecha-Sonic, "I can capture the fox and give the hedgehog my ultimatum at the same time."* Mecha-Sonic opened the hatch on his back, revealing the turbo engine. It hummed to life. The noise of the engine was just loud enough for Tails to hear it with his sensitive ears.  
  
"What's that sound?" he asked as his ears perked up. Sonic just looked at him, then looked around the clearing, but saw nothing.  
  
"What sound, Big Guy? I don't hear anything," said Sonic with his back turned to Tails. Sonic's answer came as soon as he asked it when heard Tails let out a scream. Sonic turned around just in time to see something fly by him and grab Tails.  
  
"Tails!" cried Sonic as he desperately tried to find his friend. A second later, Mecha-Sonic flew back into the clearing, holding Tails up next to him with both his arms gripped in Mecha-Sonic's right hand. He landed about twenty feet away from Sonic and put one of his razor sharp claws up to Tails throat.  
  
"Let him go right now!" demanded Sonic. Mecha-Sonic just let out a small laugh and looked Sonic straight in the eyes.  
  
"Who are you to make demands, hedgehog. As you can see, I have the advantage, so you'd better listen to me," said Mecha-Sonic. Sonic gritted his teeth, knowing that this robot was right.  
  
"What are you and what do you want?" asked Sonic. Mecha-Sonic let out another small laugh and pointed right at Sonic.  
  
"I want you, hedgehog. As for what I am, just take a good look at me and tell me what you see," said Mecha-Sonic. Sonic looked puzzled, but decided to do what this robot said. After studying Mecha-Sonic for a few moments, realization struck him as his eyes opened wide.  
  
"You look exactly like me, only robotic," said Sonic with surprise.  
  
"That's right. I'm your exact robotic double, Sonic. I am Mecha-Sonic!" cried Mecha-Sonic. Tails looked up at his attacker for the first time and saw that the robot did look exactly like Sonic. He then started kicking Mecha-Sonic in his side. Mecha-Sonic looked down at the two-tailed fox, getting angrier with every kick Tails landed. Even though his armor plating made it feel like a finger tapping him in the side, the loud clanking noise it made was getting on his nerves.  
  
"You had better quit that annoying tapping or I'll just kill you straight out," said Mecha-Sonic, his eyes glowing a bright red with anger.  
  
"Stop it, Tails! Don't make him angry!" yelled Sonic. Tails stopped and just went limp all over except his head, which was watching Sonic.  
  
"Meet me in two hours at the edge of the Great Unknown closest to the forest if you want to see you little fox buddy alive again. Come alone. Otherwise, I will just kill him," said Mecha-Sonic. He then activated his foot thrusters and took off, with Tails in tow. He left the meadow with a blast of speed from his rocket booster. Sonic formed two fists with his hands. That robot was going to pay for taking Tails.  
  
"I'll get you back Tails, I promise," said Sonic to himself as he revved up and blasted back to Knothole.  
  
**********  
  
"But why do you have to go alone?" asked Sally as Sonic waited next to the Power Ring pool for a ring. He had returned from the meadow about twenty minutes ago, and practically everyone in Knothole had asked him where Tails was. He eventually told Sally what had happened and about Mecha-Sonic. She had freaked out when he had told her that Tails had been kidnapped and she was still having trouble keeping her emotions in check.  
  
"He said to come alone or Tails would die. I can't let that happen," said Sonic,   
  
"It's me that robotic faker wants, so maybe if he gets what it is he wants, he'll let Tails go." Sally shook her head as she fought back tears.  
  
"Sonic, you know that he won't just 'let Tails go'. He'll keep him until he kills you, then he'll kill Tails as well," said Sally. Sonic looked up from the Power Ring pool and right into Sally's eyes.  
  
"There is no way I'm going to let some tin can kill Tails. I made a promise to Tails when I first met him that I would always protect him with my life. And that is what I'm going to do," said Sonic as he returned his eyes to the pool. About ten seconds later, the pool started to glow a yellowish color as a Power Ring emerged from the pool. Sally reached over, grabbed the ring, and put it in Sonic's pack. She then turned Sonic around to face her.  
  
"Come back to me, Sonic. And Tails as well," she said giving Sonic a kiss on the cheek. Sonic than gave Sally a hug before revving up and blasting out of Knothole.  
  
**********  
  
At the edge of the Great Unknown, Mecha-Sonic was finishing the final touches on his surprise for Sonic. Tails was hanging by his hands from a dead tree nearby. Mecha-Sonic looked up from the trap; satisfied that all was ready. He walked back over to Tails and flew up next to him.  
  
"Why so glum? You should be happy. You are a key element in destroying Mobius' fastest inhabitant," laughed Mecha-Sonic. Tails looked right at Mecha-Sonic with an angry glare.  
  
"You may look like Sonic, but there is no way you can beat him," said Tails as he tried to side kick Mecha-Sonic, but only caused himself to start twisting around in a circle. Mecha-Sonic only laughed at Tails until he finally came to a stop.  
  
"Think what you will, little fox, but time will tell who is the better hedgehog. Unfortunately, you won't be wake to witness the outcome," said Mecha-Sonic as he backhanded Tails, knocking him unconscious. He looked up just in time to see a dust cloud approaching the edge of the Great Unknown.  
  
"Right on time," said Mecha-Sonic as he landed next to the tree. As soon as he landed, a sonic boom went off as Sonic ran up to within a hundred feet of the tree. When he saw Tails hanging unconscious from the tree, his anger boiled and then exploded when he saw Mecha-Sonic standing beside the tree.  
  
"What did you do to him!" demanded Sonic. Mecha-Sonic just gave a shrug and leaned up against the tree.  
  
"Oh, just having a little fun before you got here. Don't worry, he's just resting," said Mecha-Sonic casually.  
  
"You had NO reason to knock him out! Now I'm going to tear you apart piece by piece," cried Sonic. Mecha-Sonic just laughed at him.  
  
"I'd like to see you come over here and say that to my face," said Mecha-Sonic as Sonic shook with rage, "or are you too scared of losing to me." That was Sonic's breaking point. No one made fun of him and got away with it. Sonic revved up and shot straight towards Mecha-Sonic at top speed.  
  
But he only got about 50 feet from the place he started to where he suddenly stopped and was whipped around like a rubber band. Sonic looked down to see he was stuck in Mega-Muck, a mud-like substance that acted like super glue. Mecha-Sonic let out a burst of laughter at Sonic as he walked over to him.  
  
"You foolish hedgehog. You fell right into my trap," said Mecha-Sonic, pointing to the Mega-Muck, "Did you honestly think you could outsmart me? I am superior to you in every way." Sonic looked up at Mecha-Sonic.  
  
*"How could I have fallen for such an obvious trap?"* thought Sonic as Mecha-Sonic drew back his hand.  
  
"Now we know who is the better hedgehog, and the other one will not live to see another day," said Mecha-Sonic as he backhanded Sonic. He then punched Sonic right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Sonic knelt down, trying to avoid hand contact with the Mega-Muck. Mecha-Sonic then kick him squarely in the side.  
  
By now, Tails was starting to wake up. He opened his eyes to see Sonic bent down in front of Mecha-Sonic, who had just slashed him across the chest with the tip of his claws, drawing Sonic's blood. The wounds weren't deep, so nothing important was damaged. Tails kept quite as he tried to figure a way to help his friend. It was then that he noticed Mecha-Sonic had not tied his tails together.  
  
*"I hope this works,"* thought Tails as he wound up his tails and flew up into the air. He then flew as fast as he could straight up into the air. At first, the ropes keeping him bound to the tree held tight. Tails flew even harder as he tugged on the ropes. After about five seconds of struggling, the ropes snapped and he brushed them off his hands. He then took off at full speed straight towards Mecha-Sonic. Sonic looked up and smiled when he saw Tails free himself from the tree and head in their direction. Mecha-Sonic was ready to deliver a killing blow to Sonic's head when he saw the smile on his face and frowned.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" asked Mecha-Sonic, lowering his fist. Sonic looked into Mecha-Sonic's red eye lights. He slowly got up from his kneeling position as he stood up.  
  
"You know what I pity about you, Mecha-Sonic?" said Sonic. Mecha-Sonic's eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"What would that be, hedgehog?" asked Mecha-Sonic. By now Tails was just moments away from ramming Mecha-Sonic.  
  
"The fact that unlike me, you have no friends to back you up," said Sonic. Mecha-Sonic looked confused at what Sonic had just said. His eyes went wide when he figured out what Sonic meant by that. He turned around in time to see both of Tails feet slam right into his face. With Tails hitting him at that speed, it caused Mecha-Sonic to go flying back right into Sonic. The force of Sonic getting hit by Mecha-Sonic pushed him out of the Mega-Muck. Mecha-Sonic landed a few feet behind him as Tails landed next to Sonic.  
  
"Sonic! Are you okay?" asked Tails as he helped Sonic up off the ground.  
  
"Man, someone get the license number of that hover unit," said Sonic as he put his hand against his forehead. Behind him, Mecha-Sonic got up to his feet and was powering up his booster to charge Sonic. But Tails noticed it before he could take off.  
  
"Sonic! Watch out!" cried Tails as Sonic whipped around in time to see Mecha-Sonic shoot forward. Sonic blasted away from Tails with Mecha-Sonic hot on his heels. The two of them raced all over the Great Unknown, with Mecha-Sonic trying to blast Sonic with his laser arm. But with all the open space, Sonic was easily able to dodge each shot.  
  
*"This is pointless. He's too agile to hit with a laser and to fast to actually catch up to,"* thought Mecha-Sonic. Then he noticed that Tails was watching them from a rock formation about a half-mile away. An idea struck him. If he couldn't get the hedgehog this time, what was keeping him from recapturing the fox and doing this over again with another kind of trap. He changed direction and blasted towards the formation. Sonic looked back to see that Mecha-Sonic had changed his sights to Tails.  
  
*"Oh no, he's going after Tails again!"* though Sonic. He changed direction to face the formation. There was no time to waste, for Mecha-Sonic was almost on top of Tails, who was too scared to move. Sonic reached into his pack and pulled out the Power Ring. Its energy coursed through his body as he shot forward with a supersonic boom.   
  
Tails let out a scream as Mecha-Sonic flew at top speed at him. But just before Mecha-Sonic grabbed him, Sonic shot by and scooped him up in his arms. Mecha-Sonic watched Sonic get Tails to safety. When he looked in front of him, he realized he had made a big mistake in heading full speed at the formation.  
  
"Oh no..." was all Mecha-Sonic managed to say as he went crashing through several boulders. All of the banging caused the booster in his access panel come loose and fall out to the desert floor. It shattered into a dozen pieces when it hit. By that time, Mecha-Sonic had finished plowing through the rocks and had come to a stop. Sonic and Tails walked up to Mecha-Sonic and looked him over. Sonic noticed that his eyelights were out.  
  
"Its over," he sighed as he looked down at Tails, who had dropped to the ground, took off his sneakers, and was rubbing his feet, "You okay, Tails?"  
  
"Yeah, I just shouldn't kick a robot like that again any time real soon," answered Tails, "They aren't exactly soft."  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it," said Sonic, rubbing the spot where Mecha-Sonic had slammed into his head, "What do you say we juice back to Knothole." Tails put his sneakers back on and gripped Sonic's shoulders. Sonic then shot off towards Knothole. After they were out of sight, Mecha-Sonic's eyelights started to flicker, and then they came on. He sat upright and rubbed his head.  
  
"Run systems check," said Mecha-Sonic. He started buzzing as his body determined the extent of the damage as he stood up. After a few moments, a computer voice answered his query.  
  
"Unit Mecha-Sonic operating at 82% power. Weapon system off-line. Foot thrusters off-line. Visual sensor at 93% efficiency. Main booster engine destroyed," said the internal computer. Mecha-Sonic let out a scream and brought both fists down upon a nearby boulder, shattering it to pieces.  
  
"That hedgehog will pay for what he has done today. Not only did he humiliate me; he destroyed the prototype engine. Snivley's going to have my head for losing that booster," said Mecha-Sonic to himself. His vision blurred for a minute. He smacked the side of his head and his vision cleared. He made a vow to himself right then to kill Sonic the next time they meet. He then activated his wrist communicator and called for a retrieval unit.  
  
**********  
  
Just outside of Knothole, Sonic stopped running and knelt to the ground, holding his side. Ever since Mecha-Sonic had kicked him in the side, his chest had hurt where he had been kicked. When he had adrenaline pumping from the fight with Mecha-Sonic, it didn't seem so bad, but now that its flow was back to normal, the pain had nearly tripled. Tails let go as he knelt down beside him.  
  
"Sonic, what's the matter?" asked Tails. Sonic just gritted his teeth as another wave of pain hit him. He then looked up at Tails.  
  
"Go...get Sally...and Dr. Quack..." said Sonic in a pained voice, his eyes closed tight. Tails wound up his tails and flew at top speed towards Sally's hut. Sally had just finished taking a shower when she heard a pounding at her down. She put on her vest and opened the door to find Tails standing there.   
  
"Aunt Sally, come quick..." started Tails. But before he could say anything else, Sally had picked him up and had started kissing him on the cheeks and forehead, almost crying the whole time.  
  
"Oh Tails, you're all right! What happened? Where's Sonic?" asked Sally as she hugged Tails tightly. Tails finally freed himself from her grasp and pointed towards the door.  
  
"Aunt Sally, Sonic needs help. Something's wrong with him," said Tails. Sally's happiness faded when she heard this. She quickly put on her boots as she followed Tails outside. Tails then ran over to Dr. Quack's hut and started pounding on the door. Sally heard a crash as Dr. Quack swore to himself. He then opened the door and Tails explained to him what had happened.  
  
Dr. Quack went and grabbed his medical bag from a chair and follower Tails and Sally to where he had left Sonic, who was now on his back in pain. Dr. Quack ran over to Sonic as he got out a mini X-ray display. He ran it over Sonic's side as he grabbed a needle from his bag.  
  
"Now hold still, Sonic. This may sting, but it will help with the pain," said Dr. Quack as he poked Sonic with the needle. Sonic started to get his erratic breathing under control as he opened his eyes to see Sally and Dr. Quack knelt down next to him. Sally noticed he had his eyes opened.  
  
"How did this happen?" asked Sally as Sonic tried to get up. But before he could, Dr. Quack grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back to the ground.  
  
"Don't move. I need you to be perfectly still for this to get an accurate reading," said Dr. Quack.  
  
"Not one of my better qualities," said Sonic. Sally smiled as she reached down and rubbed Sonic's head with her hand, brushing back his quills. Before he could answer Sally's question, he succumbed to the sleep brought on by the drug in the needle.  
  
**********  
  
Mecha-Sonic had no pride in his step like he did when he had left Robotropolis five days ago. His conversation with Snively on the way back to the polluted city had been anything but pleasant. He had been scolded for nearly the whole two-day trip back about the destruction of the booster engine. He reached his destination as the door whooshed open to reveal Snively staring down at him from his command chair, looking unusually calm. This worried Mecha-Sonic. Snively was anything but calm on his ride back. Mecha-Sonic gulped as he entered the command center. He walked up to the command chair and knelt before it.  
  
"Master, I am sorry about losing Sonic. But I was not fully aware of how cunning he is," said Mecha-Sonic in a humble voice. Snively leaned forward and put his fingers together.  
  
"My pinky is more cunning than that hedgehog is. You were just reckless," said Snively, frowning.  
  
"His speed is extraordinary. There was no way the booster could have matched the speed he can move when holding one of those rings," said Mecha-Sonic. Snively took a moment to reflect on that notion. He then turned his attention back to Mecha-Sonic.  
  
"Luckily for you, I still find you as the most advanced robot on this planet, so I shall excuse your actions in dealing with the hedgehog this time. But from now on, I will come up with the plans to capture him. Got that straight?" asked Snively.  
  
"Yes, Master," answered Mecha-Sonic as he bowed, then turned and left the center.  
  
**********  
  
From his "spy base" located in a junk pile, a Roboticized hedgehog named Sir Charles Hedgehog, known to everyone else as Uncle Chuck, was watching the whole conversation using one of his spy bugs. When they finished talking and Mecha-Sonic had left the room, Uncle Chuck recalled the bug as it started on its return to the base. When it reached the junk pile, it entered through a pipe in the side and walked into Uncle Chuck's waiting hand. He then took the micro recording tape out of the bug and attached it with a note to the talon of one of his carrying doves. He then took a look through his periscope to see if any Swatbots were nearby. Seeing none, he opened the front door and let the dove go as it headed towards Knothole.  
  
**********  
  
Sonic woke up to find himself in Dr. Quack's office. He sat up to find his entire torso wrapped in bandages. He looked around the room and saw Sally and Bunnie talking about something over on the other side of the office. It was Sally who first noticed he was up.  
  
"Oh, Sonic. You're awake," she said as she walked over and hugged him, being cautious not to hurt him. Bunnie walked up next to him and put her real hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Y'all had us worried, Sugar-Hog. You've been off in clouds now for about three days," said Bunnie. Sonic just smiled as he let his two favorite girls take pity on him. It was then that Sally stopped hugging him and then slapped him across the face. Sonic put his hand to his now red cheek as he looked at her with disbelief.  
  
"Yo, Sal. What was that for?" asked Sonic.  
  
"Don't ever scare me like that again!" she yelled at him. It was then that Dr. Quack entered the room and walked up to the end of the bed, smiling.  
  
"I see that you have awaken, but maybe it would've been better if you had just stayed asleep," said Dr. Quack with a chuckle. Sonic just looked up with a harsh glare.  
  
"So Doc, what all have I banged up?" asked Sonic. Dr. Quack took a form from the foot of his bed.  
  
"Well, you managed to break two ribs and had some trauma to the head. Also, your midsection was slashed by what looks like tempered steel," said Dr. Quack as he read off each injury. Sonic just winced in pain as he tried to get up.  
  
"I wouldn't advise getting up for at least another day or two. Otherwise, you won't heal properly," said Dr. Quack as he left the room, leaving him alone once again with Sally and Bunnie.  
  
"So what exactly happened to you?" asked Sally. Sonic just dropped his head back onto the pillow.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it, Sal. Just not right now," said Sonic as he closed his eyes. Sally motioned for Bunnie to leave. Bunnie just gave a smile and left them alone in the room. Sally then brushed her hand across his forehead. Sonic just smiled when she started doing that, knowing full well that eventually he would break and give in to telling her.  
  
"All right, Sal. You win," said Sonic as he told her about the trap and how Tails had saved him and then he had saved Tails. He saw Sally relax quite a bit when he told her that Mecha-Sonic had been shut down. Just as he had finished telling her what had happened, a dove came flying through the window and landed on Sonic's head. Sally couldn't help but laugh when she saw the dove on top of his head. Sonic tried to swat the bird, but Sally grabbed his hand when she noticed that the dove had something on its foot.  
  
"Hold it, Sonic! It's one of Uncle Chuck's carrying doves," she said as she took the note and the tape from the bird. After its cargo was taken, it took off for Uncle Chuck's base, returning to rest for another trip back o Knothole. Sally read the note and her eyes widened with fear. Sonic looked at her worriedly as she took Nicole off her boot.  
  
"What's Uncle Chuck's message say?" asked Sonic. Sally handed him the note and his eyes also widened when he read it. The note read:  
  
"Dear Sally;  
I have just witnessed a conversation between Snively and a robot that closely resembles Sonic. Along with this message is a tape showing the conversation."  
  
  
The date on the note was that of yesterday, which is what had both of them worried. Sally opened Nicole and placed the mini tape inside her playback system.  
  
"Nicole, run all video files on this tape," she said as Nicole beeped a few times.  
  
"One file qualifies," said Nicole as her holographic projection activated and Snively appeared in his command chair. The film played as the saw him talking to something outside of the camera's view. After about a minute, Mecha-Sonic appeared in the holograph. After about a minute, he turned around and left. The image flickered and then vanished.  
  
"Sonic, I thought you said he was shut down for good," asked Sally with fear in her voice. Sonic was staring down into the sheets with a stare that he had never before matched.  
  
"His eyelights were out and he wasn't moving. I guess he isn't as easy to stop as I thought," said Sonic. Sally looked him right in the eyes.  
  
"What if this happens again? He could ambush another Freedom Fighter and hold them for ransom," she said worriedly. Sonic looked up .  
  
"I doubt he'll try anything like this again. When he plowed into the rocks, the booster that was giving him supersonic speed fell out and shattered when it hit the ground. There's no way he can keep up with me now and I doubt he'll be able to sneak up on anyone. He isn't exactly the quite type," said Sonic. Sally just leaned her head into Sonic's lap.   
  
"It looks like we have one more danger to look out for when we go to Robotropolis, only this one is far more dangerous than any number of Swatbots," said Sonic as he looked up at the ceiling and thought about the kind of damage Mecha-Sonic had inflicted and endured, *"This war is far from over, and the price that we will pay for our freedom has risen once more."*  
  
THE END  



End file.
